GODSPELL SGS PRODUCTIONS

19th-22nd March 2014

This evening sees the fruition of the many months of

rehearsal and preparation which have brought

together well over 100 pupils from across the School, combining their

talents, energy and enthusiasm towards a common goal. I am sure that you

will be both delighted by and proud of the achievements of the cast and

production team.

Playing a full part in the vigorous extra-curricular life of Stockport

Grammar School is central to the personal development of girls and boys.

Drama clubs, choirs, ensembles and orchestras flourish at every level of

our school offering an abundance of opportunities for pupils to perform

and perfect their powers of expression and collaboration in the pursuit of

excellence.

Our thanks are due to Mrs Alison Moffatt, Mr Michael Dow, MrS SARAH

Johnson, MRS Abi Downing and their colleagues for their commitment to

enriching the pupils’ education whilst providing them and us with a

marvellous and memorable experience.

Andrew Chicken

Headmaster

Welcome FROM THE HEAD

Main Cast

Synopsis AS the lights go up on Our SGS production of

Godspell we are introduced to the modern

world and all the eclectic and diverse mix

that make up a community of young people living in a city. Each character on

stage defines themselves, as many of us do in the real world, by the clothes

they wear, the music that they listen to, whether they are rich or poor,

fashionable or goth, clever or not. Each individual seeks out others that fit

into the mould that they themselves and society has placed them in. The

groups once formed do not mix with the others. They close themselves off.

Safe in the boxes that they have created for themselves. Safe but not

necessarily fulfilled or happy.

A trumpet sounds. A note pure and honest. A journey has begun. A

connection has been made. A new larger and inclusive community is about to

flourish. The trumpet heralds a story teller. A story teller by the name of

Jesus who has come to ‘Save the People’.

As the First Act unfolds Jesus brings together a small band of characters

from this larger group led by Judas, to help to enact parables from the

Bible. Stories that not only share the word of God but teach about love,

compassion and forgiveness.

To begin with Jesus tells the story of ‘the widow and the Judge’. He gently

cajoles a few from the group to participate. Hesitant at first, they quickly

grow in confidence and help to re-enact the story.

As the group begins to understand Jesus and his teachings they start to

fully engage in the telling of each of the parables creating comic and often

larger than life caricatures to portray Jesus’ message.

Various parables, each with their own message flow

through the act, interspersed with song and dance, With

the last song before the interval the joyous ‘Light of

the World’ celebrating Christ's Light and how it CAN shine

In each of us.

Act Two opens with a definite change of mood with the soulful yet dark

‘Turn Back, O Man’. As the act gets underway Jesus’ authority is questioned.

Jesus’ response Takes a forceful form in the song ‘Alas for You’.

There now seems to be a sense of urgency to Jesus’ story telling. He no longer

seems to be creating these stories for entertainment or as a way to bond with

this diverse group of people. He now has a message. a purpose. We start to

sense that Jesus knows his fate. Certain moments in Act One between Jesus and

JudAs begin to make sense as we realise that the story of Jesus himself is

about to unfold on stage.

The others respond to this urgency and begin to apply Jesus’ teachings. They

begin to find connections with others outside their groups. They begin to see

how our humanity connects us all no matter what social box we are in.

During the melodious ‘Beautiful City’ the groups dissolve, Our community has

finally blossomed into one.

But, just as the community is formed, they are about to lose two of its

members. JudAs the betrayer and Jesus the betrayed. The inevitability of the

moment hits as the GROUp sit down for the last supper and Jesus speaks the

fateful words to Judas, “Do quickly what you must do”.

The show drives emotionally towards its conclusion.

We all know how this story ends but the question

is; will this newly formed Godspell community have

the strength to carry on without JESUS’ PHYSICAl

presence?

Chorus

Jamie Allen

Mona Amet

AlmirA Awan-Rutter

Emily Banks

Barry Bike

Jessica Black

Pippa Brown

Beatrice Bullough

Ella Burton

Joe Carroll

Ben Carthy

Malachi Chinery

Molly Clark

Olivia Clark

Alex Curwen

Georgia Curwen

Martha Davenport

Anna Davies

Nathan Eckersley

Georgina Elston

Emmily Fowler-Isakpa

Maddie Garton

Joseph Gaughan

Michael Gilmour

NICK GNOME

Katie Goodwin

Alex Grant

Oliver Helme

Natalie Ho

Faye Holleworth

Lydia Horne

William Howard

Emily Howling

Lucy Howling

Niamh Johnson

Cornelia Kolusi

Amy Lynch

Max Mather-Harding

Celeste McDonnell

Finley Nolan

Lara O’Donoghue

Lydia O’Donoghue

Daniel Orechoff

Melissa Pickford

Eilidh Pollard

Molly Royle

Elsa Shah

Oliver Sheard

Rebecca Soars

William Spendlove

Sarah Stretton

Claudia Thomas

Liza Vul

Jenny Warwick

Olivia White

Peter Withers

Director & PRODUCER — Mrs Alison Moffatt

Co-Producer — MRS Sarah JohNSon

Musical Director — Mr Michael Dow

Choreographer — MRS Abi Downing

Costume — MRS Zoe Vernon

Lighting DESIGN & INSTALLATION — MR John Watson

OF CREATIVE LIGHTING DESIGN

Sound Design — MR Mick Flaherty

LIGHTING — MR KEN AIREY

Props — Mrs Debbie Flint

FRONT OF HOUSE — MRS LUCY LAMMAS

Production Team

Band KEYBOARD — MR MICHAEL DOW

GUITAR — HARRY NICHOLSON

BASS — ALEX JONES

DRUMS — DAN BLEARS

Sporty Crew

T E C H I 

HAPPY *

Book Worms

Essex Lads

Jesus & Judas

Chorus Snaps

M U S I C I A N

THE BAND

Sporty Gals

Lighting Richard Almond

Spencer Hewitt

Adam musa

Oliver Nolan

BACKSTAGe/SET/FRONT OF HOUSE Jenny Muellenbach Amber Reece-Greenhalgh

Lois Betts Maisie Eastwick Lauryn Edwards

Grace Fraser Grace Howson-Reed Laween Kader

Freya O’Donoghue Ilani Patel Lily Russell

Lydia Tanker Emily Thomas Hope Vaughan

Martha Vernon Laura Watson Savannah Whittaker

SOUND Engineers: William Noakes

Jonathan Brady

Lewis Higgins

Team: Shakeel Ahmed

Ishraque Mahmood

Hashim Munir

Backstage Crew Musical Numbers

Act ONE

Prepare Ye

Save the People

Day by Day

Learn Your Lessons Well

Oh Bless the Lord

All for the Best

All Good Gifts

Light of the World

Act TWO

Turn Back O Man

Alas for You

By My Side

We Beseech Thee

Beautiful City

On the Willows

Finale

FROM THE DIRECTOR godspell HAS ALWAYS BEEN A musical THAT I HAVE HANKERED TO DIRECT. I KNEW WITH THE

TALENT OF PUPILS AND STAFF AT SGS, NOW WAS THE TIME TO PRODUCE THIS SHOW. THE CHALLENGE

HAS BEEN TAKING A twelve CAST-MEMBER musical AND EXPANDING IT TO A CAST OF seventy. In

order to give as many pupils as we could the opportunity to be involved in the show.

IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE SHOW FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY AND WHAT CONNECTS US AS

HUMAN BEINGS, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE AUDIENCE SEES BUT TO DEVELOP IT IN A REAL

SENSE FOR THE CAST AND CREW. THIS HAS TRULY BEEN REALISED THROUGH our months of

working together.

AS A DIRECTOR YOU HAVE A VISION FOR A SHOW AND it is always worth putting in the hours

to bring the best out of your actors and leading REHEARSALs TO BRING together the

acting, dance, music & production elements. But it is not only myself working on the

show, there is a fantastic team of staff behind the production. mr dow as musical

director and Mrs downing as choreographer have encapsulated the spirit of godspell

perfectly. MANy HOURS have been spent by Mrs Vernon at rehearsals supporting the staff

and cast, mr Flaherty has set up and wired the sound system and mrs johnson has

worked tirelessly behind the scenes co-ordinating set build, administration and heading up

the backstage crew.

Many other people need to be thanked too for their hardwork and support:

Paul Croft and the caretaking team

Steve Markham, Chris nock, & Dave Matthews from the Maintenance Department

Kathy Gosling and the catering department

Mr Geth GrIFFITH for the loan of his keyboard

Paul Cosgriff for his photographic skills

Jenny Muellenbach for her amazing artistic creations

MRS FLINT, DR AIREY & Mrs LAMmas for their work in their backstage roles.

It has been a pleasure forming a new working relationship with creative lighting designs

who have assisted us with ideas for not only this show but as to how we can develop

our theatre for future productions. I and the team look forward to many new

productions in the coming years.

Thank you for coming to support the cast and crew

of godspell. I hope that you enjoy the show.

Godspell Conceived and Originally Directed by

John-Michael Tebelak

Music & New Lyrics by

Stephen Schwartz

Originally Produced on the New York Stage By

Edgar Lansbury/Stuart Duncan/Joseph Beruh

BY My Side

Music: Peggy Gordon

Lyrics: Jay Hamburger

AN Amateur production by arrangement

with samuel French limited